Gravity-separator.



I'. 0. EBENE. GRAVITY SEPARATOR.

APPLIUATION IIBBD NOV. 29,'1912.

L69,143 Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

FREEMONT O. KEENE, OFFREE-POBT, ILLINOIS.

GRAVITY-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

' Application led November 29, 1912. l Serial No. 734,088.

To all whom, z'may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREEMONT O. KEES-E, a citizen of the United States,residing at Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and the State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gravity-Separator-s, of which the' following is a specification.

This invention relates to separators and more particularly to thoseknown as gravity separators. In separators of this type, peas, beans,etc., are immerged in a solution of water and salt, the light peasrising to the surface. the heavy peas sinking, and by. varying thedensity ot the solution the proper grading of the peas is obtained.

The object of this invention is to obtain a simple and eflicientseparator that shall by its novel construction provide for eii'ectiveand positive grading of thepeas.

A further object is to construct the separator so that the gatheringmeans for thel heavy peas will not agitate the brine in which the peasare being separated, which agitation imparts motion to certain slowlysinking peas and causes them to rise to the gathering pathof the lightpeas.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectionon line 1-1 of Fig. 2, a portion of the dividing wall and conveyer beingbroken away. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sect-ion on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1. l

The separator is suitably mounted on standards 3, and has a body portion4 forming a reservoir suitable for containing liquid. A vertical andlongitudinal partition 5 divides the reservoir into two compartments 6and 7, the compartment 6 having longitudinal extensions 8', as shown. Asolution of water and salt of the desired density is contained in thereservoir filling both compartments, and may be drained by the valve 9.

Suitable means for admitting the peas or. other articles to be separatedare provided, having here shown a hopper 10 carried by the frame 4,having the check 11 (shown closed) and which allows the peas to beimmerged into the brinein compartment 6 throu h the passage 12 in such amanner that t e peas will not come in coniiict with any gathering meansbefore they have time to be separated.

The peas that oat are gathered by suit able means, such as an endlesschain 13 suitably driven and guided by the sprocketwheels 14 and thestud mounted sprocketwheels 15, the chain carrying a plurality ofbuckets 16 of a wire mesh construction, which buckets have projectingears 17 that. ride on the track 1S formed of angle iron. the track beingcarried by the side walls ot' compartment 6. These buckets travel asindicated b v the arrow adjacent thereto. skim the surface of the brineand convey the gathered peas to a suitable receptacle.

A receptacle in the form of a hinged bucket is adapted to rest at thebottom of compartment 7 and comprises a horizontal supporting strip 19having V-shaped ends 20, two buckets 21 formed with an angle iron frameand covered with a wire mesh, the top of the buckets being open andhinged to the bar 19 as shown. Means are provided for raising thebuckets 21, which consist of a carriage 22 slidable on track 23, thecarriage carrying pulleys 24 from which cables .25 are suspended and areattached to the bar 19. When the buckets are raised by cables 25 theweight of the buckets will hold them together and closed,'and to dumpthem a cable 26, suspended from a pulley carried by the carriage andhaving a connec` tion with the outer edge of each bucket, may be pulledtaut, the buckets being dumped as shown in the dotted raised position.

The dividing wall 5 has at its bottom a longitudinal opening 27, whichopening can be closed or opened (shown closed) by the slide 28, saidslide being guided by the strips 29 and being raised or lowered by thetwo handles 30 which have a catch at their upper end to hold the slidein a raised position. A guide strip 31 of a flexible material is securedto the bottom of the opening 27 and overhangs the bucket 21 to guide thepeas thereinto; the flexibility of the strip being to allow the bucketsto be raised.

The operation ofthe separator is as follows: Upon opening check 11 peasare immerged into compartment 6, the light peas rising to the surfaceand being gathered by the conveying buckets 16, and the heavier 'peassinking to the bottom and passing through opening 27 (the slide 28 beingraised) and into the buckets 21. When buckets 21 have been filled theopening 27 is closed and the buckets raised in the above describedmanner.

It will be seen that by constructing the separator with the two separatecompartments, brine in compartment 6, in which peas are settling, is notagitated or disturbed by the gathering means for the heavy peas.

in separators of common construction thisy tents to be separated, thelower portion of,

said compartment in which the heavier ot said contents are adapted tosettle being free from conveying means, and gathering means in the othercompartment, said compartments provided with an opening therebetweenthrough which Asaid heavier contents may pass to said gathering means.

2. In a gravity separator, the combination ot a reservoir having twocompartments adapted to contain liquid, one of said compai-[mentsforming a separating compart ment adapted to allow the heavier ofcontents iminerged therein to settle to the bot tom of said compartmentand being provided with an opening in the bottom thereof through whichsaid heavier contents may pass, and gathering means located in the othercompartment and adapted to receive said contents which have passedthrough said opening, said gathering means being po sitioned to notagitate the' liquid in the separating compartment while said heavierc0ntents are passing therefrom.

3. In a gravity separator the combination noname of a reservoir havingtwo compartments, one compartment having an inclined bottom and providedwith an opening at the lower portion thereof communicating with bothcompartments, means for vclosing said opening, skimming means located inthe trstrmentioned compartment, and gathering means located in the othercompartment adjacent said opening.

4. In a gravity separator the combination of a reservoir, a separatingcompartment located therein, skimming means tor the separatingcompartment, and gathering means located outside the separatingcompartment comprising a receptacle and means :tor raising same from thereservoir, said separating compartment provided with a passage leadingtherefrom to discharge the contents thereof not gathered by the skimmingmeans into said gathering receptacle.

5. A gravity separator comprising two compartments, one ot saidcompartments having a portion of its bottom sloping downward and joiningthe other compartment, said compartments provided with an openingtherebetween adjacent said oining point, and a closure adapted to coversaid opening, the contents ot the separating compartment that are notretained thereby being adapted to pass through said opening and intotheother compartment.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto setmy hand in presence of twosubscribing witn'esses.

FREEMNT 0. EBENE.

Witnesses:

lELwiN S. AUMAN, 'Y E. M. Mnmuovn.

